TV Tonight: The Paper

In high school, I was a class-A newspaper nerd, trolling the halls with a notepad in hand, hoping for a bit of scandal from the drama department or an expose on why Frisbee was no longer allowed in gym class. Even so, I doubt I'd be any match for the kids of The Paper, MTV's newest reality series. The show, which premieres tonight after The Hills, follows a crew of teens at a south Florida high school as they battle to become editor in chief of The Circuit.

I loved the idea when it was first announced, and I admit I've gotten a little thrill every time I've seen the ads for the show — especially when Amanda, the catalyst for much of the bickering on the staff, declares in no uncertain terms that "journalists are the most important people in the world." These kids don't look like out-and-out geeks, but they're not the perfectly polished specimens of The Hills, either. They seem shockingly normal, caught up less in fame and more in the everyday dramas of popularity and personality that were such a big part of the teenage experience for so many of us.

MTV's last foray into a journalism-based series, I'm From Rolling Stone, didn't work out so well — but I have higher hopes for The Paper. After all, very few people can relate to being music journalists, but who can't relate to the awkwardness of high school?

Are you interested in checking out The Paper when it premieres tonight? To check out a preview, just

As a former high school journalism nerd from Florida, I am very excited to see how this turns out. It's so refreshing to see a high school reality show about real kids, and I love seeing kids who still want to be journalists! Oh, the nerdiness is overwhelming me with emotion. However, I could also see myself hating this show if MTV makes it too MTV-y.

South Florida shoutout! Whoo!
I wrote the first leading story for the first issue of my high school newspaper. I can't even remember what it was about, hah. "Journalists are the most important people in the world" - this little comment reminds me of our editor. He certainly thought he was the most important person in the world. :oy:
Anyway, I'm glad MTV is doing a reality show that's more about spoiled rich kids for once.